Vermin By Necessity
by Patchwork Poltergeist
Summary: With the banishment of neerly Evil from the Mossflower and all the surrounds it, the final victory of Good is assured. That is unless five "vermin" travelers have anything to say about it. Inspired by Eve Forward's "Villians by Necessity" (I stink at summ
1. The Traveler

Disclaimer: I don't own Redwall. You should know that by now. 

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"I'm hungry, weary but I cannot lay me down

The rain comes dreary but there's no shelter I have found

It will be a long time till I find my abode

Here I am on man's road"- Walking Man's Road; The Last Unicorn

Quellara Newstar shivered violently at the freezing rain and snow soaking into past her pelt, into her skin and pulled her cloak closer around her thin shivering body. "I truly _have _come far away from the Hotlands"she said quietly to herself. It never got this cold back home. Never. Not even in the rainy months did the air chill her bones and freeze her body as it did now. The freezing beast suddenly quickened her pace as she spotted a light glowing warmly from the window of a small shack that reveled a family of hedgehogs drinking tea, a welcome contrast to Quellara's current surroundings. 

As soon as she approached the dwelling, however, the light vanished and the face of the hedgehog suddenly pulled a transformation from warm and friendly to harsh and menacing, little brown eyes glaring at her as she heard a click from a door being suddenly locked. The traveler blinked in insult. It was understandable if these hog did not want to let in a total stranger, but there really was no need for them to be so unfriendly. They'd looked at her as if she were some sort of monster. She certainly hadn't meant to cause any harm, only to get out of this strange weather. Surely the war hadn't spread to this new country? No. That couldn't be. The Hotlands were far, far across the sea. Practically on the other side of the world. Quellara noticed that her hood had fallen down again and her reflection stared back at her through the window. Ice was forming on top of and at the end of her frigid nose and the tips of her ears above tired golden eyes. Besides that, she looked as she always had. Pulling the hood beck over her head, she trudged off into the night once again, still bewildered at the hogs' behavior. The wildcat she'd spoken to earlier said the beats were very kind to those in need. But, then again she was a foreigner in Mossflower. Maybe they'd just never seen a coyote before. 

Quellara paused to rest on a ice covered tree stump. Little puffs of air reveling her breath appeared in front of her mouth, disappeared, the reappeared again as she exhaled. She smiled in spite of herself. So Gedji's tales were true after all. It truly was possible to see one's breath in front of your eyes! Quellara made a mental note to apologize to her uncle for not believing him when she saw him again. Her heart tightened. _If _she ever saw him again. On the boat and traveling she never really got a chance to think about everyone she'd left behind. Her remaining siblings, her mother, the aunts and uncles, and her grandsire Mooneye. There was still a _chance _she could see them again, if they came here, or vice versa. If the enemy didn't slay them all first. The coyote gripped her tail tightly in her paws. They'd all insisted she'd come to this new place to have at least some assurance that at least once of their line would live on and start a family. Her mate probably wouldn't be her kind, but "half a Newstar was better than none" they'd said. When she left, she believed it. But now in this cold new place, she was more than willing to give this journey up and go back home. She'd die, but at least she wouldn't die alone. "But here…." she said "Here…I fear that I will." Overcome by the sudden sorrow and loneliness, Quellara threw her head to the heavens and let a shrill howl escape from the chasms of her soul and soar up into the night sky. Into the stars. In the freezing rain, they were impossible to see, but the stars were there, they'd always be there. Hopefully. 

"Quite a set of pipes ye got 'dere lassie." said a raspy voice. The world suddenly rushed under Quellara as she slipped and fell head-over-tail off the icy stump. She looked up to see a pair of jet black eyes staring down at her. They, along with a red amulet seemed to float in mid air amidst the ice-rain and snow, but with a closer look, a tall figure stood in front of her, a ghost in the whiteness. She gulped. The figure had a striking resemblance to Khm, Angel of the Fallen. Still shaking from both the shock and freezing air the coyote slowly got to her feet. "What…did you say?" There was a brilliant flash of crimson as the ivory figure smiled and replied "I says ye have quite a set o' pipes." Confused golden eyes blinked at the black ones "Err….I'm sorry….I don't understand you… I'm..I'm a newcomer in these parts" The figure assisted in pulling the coyote to her feet. Now at muzzle level, the white form was exposed as a white fox clothed in a short white robe, even his nose was a light nearly white beige. "I'm not surprised, lass. We don' get yer kind much in these parts. A Holtlander shouldna come out 'ere by 'erself." "I cannot argue with that and- hold on, how'd you know I was a Hotlander" The fox chuckled. It wasn't a fun sound. It resembled bones clattering against a tombstone. "To answer yer first question, I be knowin' lots 'o thing, I be a mystic fox after all. As fer the second, what I meant was that you've quite a voice in you. Mine ears 'erd it from way over yonder. Quite a sound. You be a wolf?" "Not at all! I'm a coyote. I suppose we do look like a wolf, I suppose, only smaller. But I've also been mistaken for a fox. Most wolves don't have fur like mine." The mystic nodded "True. Ye do look like one 'o us." He smiled again "but none 'o us could ever make a sound like that 'un! Not in a thousand years." Quellara smiled back at the compliment with chattering fangs "I thank you. Do you know of a place I can stay the night? Maybe yours?" The fox crinkled his nose and began to walk away "Mine?! Alas, ye can' go t'mine, I'm afraid." At the forlorn, worn out look on the foreigner's face the fox paused to call out "If ye need a place t'rest, I be suggestin' the Redwall abbey, not too far from here. They're supposed t'let and creature in, even you" 

Quellara nodded "The that's where I'll go. I thank you sir." As she began journeying once more through the frigid wood, the mystic called again "Ye be grateful! I don' usually give dis 'elp for free. Yer just lucky I a'ppened t'enjoy yer singin'. I expect a fee for my effort next time!" 

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Quellara stood, footpaws numb and frozen and staring into the face of Redwall Abby in astonishment. Such an new, awesome sight this was, this structure of brick swathed in ice and snow. She silently prayed that the fox hadn't misled her as she looked for a knocker or a bell. There was none and her paws refused to come out of her cloak to knock, if knocking would've done any good in the first place. 

The coyote sighed hopefully spotting a rabbit asleep near an open window near the abbey's roof. She tipped her head back and with all the breath left inside her called "Hail! You there, rabbit! Wake your tail up, if you don't mind!" 

The beast called out from the window "Wot do you want, vermin? And wot business do you 'ave callin' me a rabbit?! I should jolly well teach you a lesson in manners." 

Vermin? That was a new one. She'd been called "slit-ear", "pest", "flea-bag", and from the most unkind, "mutt". Perhaps this was the wrong building. But there would be no harm in asking. "Pardon, but I'm new in these woods and have been traveling for seasons in this ice, snow and cold. I was told you would let in any beast seeking shelter. Would you kindly let me in?". Thinking it couldn't hurt, she added "I apologize for calling you a rabbit." 

Slowly, cautiously the gates creaked open and Quellara Newstar moved her freezing body in. 


	2. Ah, Distantly I Remember

Key: speech: "blah"

thought: _'blah'_

Poems, songs, etc: **_blah_**

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~~~~~~~~~~- flashback/dream sequence

~~~~~~~~~~- time passes

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"Do not ask which creature screams in the night, Do not question who waits for you in the shadow. It is my cry that wakes you in the night, And my body that crouches in the shadow.."~Karanzantor the Vile

The trees were screaming. A lone stoat listened to them carefully as he'd been instructed to many, many seasons ago. He listened to them moan as harsh wind and cold blasts of ice cut through them like a hot knife through butter and felt the ice and rain bombard his body mercilessly, soaking into his thinning fur, then into his skin. The cold was of no importance. Not now. 

Cain Killfang, last of the Killfang dynasty stood on the branch of a dead elm tree swaying in the blustering angry wind of the storm swathed in shadows ignoring the ice drilling it's way to his skull. Piercing vengeful crimson eyes stared at the towering structure not far in the distance as he had every night for nearly a season. Watching. Waiting. His voice dripped in scorn as he growled the first words from his throat in a score of seasons

"Redwall…."

The name itself sent surges of cold hatred through his heart. Cain averted his gaze from the accursed abbey to the empty nest sitting on the branch below him. At one time (yesterday morning to be exact) it held a clutch of robin eggs that served as his breakfast, it now contained a small pool of rain water, a thin sheet of ice forming over the surface. The stoat looked disdainfully at his sorry reflection: tattered black fur with light gray ears, paws, and tail tip, pearly-pink nose, dull red eyes, scruffy whiskers, a long ugly scar running along his left cheek. A single silver ring adorned his paw in the guise of a small skull, two shining rubies were it's eyes. His dull silk ebony cloak with various silver swirls had wrapped itself around him, over his tattered light gray chemise and moleskin pants making him look like a stigma of fog and shadow in the dead elm. But what disgusted the stoat most of all was the absence of his severed left arm. 

Cain kicked the abandoned nest out of his sight and with his remaining paw dug his claws into dead bark in frustration and rage of what he had become. The stoat brushed off patches of frost that were beginning to form of his cloak and finally decided that traveling any farther in this wretched weather was impossible. Cain wrapped himself in his precious cloak and stared at his ring with the stone that matched the hue of his closing eyes. The long lonely howl of some beast lost in the storm sang into his ears in unison with the howling wind. The fur on the back of his nape rose as he again envisioned how he came to be in this wretched state. 

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~~~~~~~

A much younger Cain Killfang sat in his mother's cushioned lap, watching in amusement at the scene before them. A vole slave desperately tried to fight it's way to the top of the water despite the heavy weights chained to his footpaws. Earlier that week he had attempted to escape Citadel and failed. Miserably. But being the sporting creature the queen was, she'd given him a chance to try for freedom, the same test she'd given to all the other escapees. All one had to do was swim from the middle of the lagoon to the shore, and then was free to go where he pleased. That was, of course, if one could make the swim with weights the size of a boulders attached to their ankles. None ever had. The vole turned and splashed uselessly in the treacherous lagoon where so many near-escapees had met their deaths before he. The vole finally somehow managed to free his left foot and began the attempt to swim to shore. Cain's mother grinned widely "This should be interesting. Watch closely, my son"

The vole smiled triumphantly at the black stoats. He'd be the first to escape the dreaded waters of Citadel, the first slave to earn his freedom! He'd come back and tell all his comrades how he'd done it, and free all of them too! He'd be a hero, his tale told for countless generations in story and song! He'd- The vole suddenly noticed the large glassy eyes and rows of teeth watching him below the murky surface- He'd be the pikes' midsummer morning snack. The slave slammed his paw into the water in aggravation, causing him to actually sink deeper into the depths of the lagoon. As the pikes sprang out of the water to devour their victim the vole shook his paw at Cain's mother. "Curse your rotting, murdering, thieving, vile soul, Lantissa Killfang! I hope you-" The vole never got any farther, for then a pike dragged him down, down to his doom. 

Lantissa shook as she laughed at the vole's demise, her son smiling along with her. "You see, my dear Cain" she said though laughter "yore mum alwiz keeps 'er vord. I promised ze fool 'iz freedom, and he shore got it! I allwiz keep my vord, all Killfangs do. Remember that vhen yore king, my little von." The queen paused to stroke her swollen belly, holding the newest addition to the Killfangs within "An' ven yore sister comes out into ze world, you'll be tellin' 'er that too." The little prince nodded "I certainly vill mum!" The queen smiled widely, lifted her child in the air, then brought him down to embrace him. "Ha ha! I know you vill, my darlin' Cain! I know you vill." 

The watchtower door suddenly burst open and an exhausted rat threw himself at his sovereign's paws. Lantissa pulled her royal gown away from the filthy servant. "Vat iz ze meaning of diss?" she demanded. Standing on the tips of his toes the rat whispered a message into his mistress' ear. The queen's eyes grew large with astonishment and outrage. Cain blinked curiously at his mother as she instructed the rat to take him to his quarters. He could see that something hadn't gone right. He'd never seen anything like the expression on his mother's face. As she turned to storm out he caught her gown "M-mummy? Vat's 'appenin'?" Queen's nose met with prince's as she looked her kit in the eyes. "Something's- gone wrong Cain. Some bad beasts have brought trouble to Citadel." The little stoat blinked in astonishment "But- 'ow could any beast get past ze guards mum?" His mother turned to glare at the messenger rat, who gulped nervously. "That is vat **I** would like to know" With that, Lantissa Killfang descended from the watch tower into the courtyard, leaving the bones of the vole, and theirs before him rotting in the bowls of the Citadel lagoon. 

In the east wing Cain dangled a fairly large mobile from his right paw constructed out of tiny bells, painted glass, and the bones of squirrels, mice, otters, hares, and any other past enemies that dared clash swords with one of the Killfang dynasty. It had hung over the cradle of a newborn Killfang for countless seasons, silently telling it of the glorious future it would have, the battles they'd win, and who they would rule over. It had hung above his great-grand-sire's, grand-sire, mother's, and lastly his head, twirling in a grisly, but calming circle. Next season it would twirl over the head of his sister, who would take the throne should anything happen to him. But it probably wouldn't. Cain smiled looking at the grand portrait of his own sire, Yerrik Killfang standing on a tall pile of corpses of defeated enemies, with a great number of slaves coming toward him, and other small forest beast fleeing in terror away from him. He looked from the picture to the babe toy, proudly imagining the night his own progeny would gaze upon these glorious trademarks of their great dynasty. 

"Euliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

The sound erupted from a terrible nightmare that jolted Cain from his bed. His little red eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and drew his star designed blanket tight around him, trembling with dread. The arid smell of smoke and flame drifted under the door and into his nostrils. The sounds of chaos, death, and battle filled his sensitive ears. The stoat prince gulped hard. His nightmare had somehow made the transformation into reality. But no…this couldn't be reality…none could do this to Citadel…**_ever_**. No..he had to still be dreaming, he had too. Nothing but a dreadful, awful fantasy. A frightful sob, for the first time began to collect in his throat. He wished his mother would come to wake him up and make it all go away. 

The door suddenly burst open and blinding light from the outside came roaring in and the terrible scents and smells became more vivid. Cain tightly shut his eyes and kept them shut until he felt himself being picked up by familiar arms, blanket and all. His red eyes peaked open to gaze upon his mother and a rat servant looking nervously at the door. Lantissa's face was racked with anxiety and fear as she placed a bundle in her son's arms and firmly instructed him to hold onto it, come what may. Never in his short life had Cain ever seen anything even resembling fear in his mother's eyes, now they filled her ruby orbs completely. A loud crash sounded from the other room. Lantissa called the rat to her side and placed her son next to him. "Cain…my little prince, listen to me very carefully. Stay close behind Vhiptail until you come to ze tunnels in ze fields. Do you understand me?" The young stoat nodded. The queen held him close and kissed him on his tiny pearly-pink nose "Good." 

The queen turned from her only son to unsheathe a deadly scimitar, the family's trademark weapon, and bolted from the room, a shrill war cry erupting from the deepest chasms of her being. Whiptail pulled her charge's arm "Come, young master". With haste stoat followed rodent to the darkest shadows within his chamber, and Whiptail shoved a stone aside revealing a hidden stairwell. Cain gripped his bundle and blanket (still wrapped around him) and stole a quick glance outside his bedroom to see his mother cut down two otter slaves and a hare he'd never seen before, before Whiptail pulled him into the passage as well, placing the stone in it's original place behind them. The two ran as if their footpaws were ablaze down the stairwell, around corners and turns. "Vhip…tail…." Cain panted "Vat's…'appenin'?! We…under…attack?" Keeping his fast pace, the rat answered bluntly "Slaves are revoltin'." The stoat's red eyes grew wide "Revolting? But…how?!" "'Ad 'elp from sum beasts not from 'ere" The duo halted as they approached the exit leading to the courtyard, both nearly out of breath. The prince grasped the rat's paw "My mum'll stop them, right?" There was a pause he hadn't expected. "Right?" he asked again. "Let's 'ope so liddle price." was the reply. 

A scene of bloody battle was what awaited them in the courtyard. The echoes of screams filled the air as guard pulled charge through the din. A slain ferret fell from the sky to the duo's feet and suddenly the next thing Cain knew, he was sprawled on the ground next to Whiptail, an arrow through his neck, and javelin poking through his skull. With a tiny gasp the stoat prince ran from the corpses blindly through the battlefield grasping his bundle and blanket as if his life depended on it. Without his guide, what would he do now? Cain hadn't the foggiest how to get to the tunnels and chances were good he'd be slain in this madness. Finally, he found a hiding place behind a broken statue of his grand-sire and waited fearfully for the Killfangs army to win the battle. He suddenly felt blood running down his face and became aware of the ugly gash on his cheek. Some beast must have inflicted it as he was running. His fangs clenched anxiously, wishing he had a scimitar of his own so he could help conquer these disgusting rebels who dared bring this sort of chaos on Killfang territory. It was at this moment he sighted his mother, perched on a rock, blade in paw locked in fearsome combat with a young, but fearsome badger whom Cain guessed was rebel leader. He hoped the royal scimitar ran straight through his disgusting heart. 

Suddenly something pushed him from his hiding spot onto a random patch of blood and found himself staring up at the rock the two leaders were fighting on. Red eyes grew wide as he jumped away from a huge sword speeding towards him. Cain crouched on cobblestone and screeched at the blinding pain shooting through his left arm, then suddenly realized that his arm no longer was attached to his body. As he slowly got to his feet, neerly blinded, wincing and panting in pain, his entire world came tumbling down. It seemed to all happen in a flash. The badger lifted an enormous battle ax and plunged it into Lantissa's stomach with an ear splitting screech. The prince sat on bloodied cobblestone in utter shock. In less time than it took for him to take a breath, the lives of both his mother had come to an end, and his unborn sister's, who's life hadn't even started .

Somewhere, far within the charred remains of Citadel rested the melted bells, broken glass and burnt bones of a broken mobile that would never turn again. 

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~~~~~~~

The black fur on Cain's nape finally began to lower. The words of the badger who'd slain his mother echoed in his mind. 

"Hear me vermin scum! I, Orrin Suntail of Redwall have put an end to your evil empire of sorrow and hatred! Never forget my words, vermin, now run from this place. Return and meet the same fate as your evil queen."

After the army of squirrels, mice, voles, otters, and one murderous badger chased him from his rightful home and birthplace, Cain Killfang, barely three seasons old screamed to the heavens "In the name of Citadel, in the name of my mother, in the name of my slain sister, in the name of all Killfangs that now, have ever, and will ever live I swear this! I shall bring your life to an end Orrin Suntail! Your head shall rot under my claws! A Killfang always keeps his word, and this shall be no different. I've done as you said, vile stripedog. I swear upon my word I shall never, _EVER_ forget what took place at Citadel! You can be bloody sure of that!" 

Cain now stared at the old tattered star blanket in which he carried the bundle given to him. When he'd finally opened it, in a hidden place far from Citadel he'd found the relics of his lineage: the Killfang chemise and moleskin pants suited for him before he was born along with a long soft silk and velvet cape, midnight blue with shining swirls of silver. When he was barely a season old, he'd begged his mother for a cloak that looked just like the night sky. Lantissa had before promised to give her son anything he desired, and this was his own proof that Killfangs truly _did _always keep their word. Besides this was the dynasty ring worn by all his predecessors as a symbol and reminder of where he came from. 

All of the items in the bundle Cain now wore as he crouched on the dead elm in the middle of this ice storm. All except one that he now carefully took out of his front pocket. It was a now raggedy old scroll that Cain often read as he awakened from sleep, or just before drifting off to it. On it read the last verse of a lullaby his mother would often sing to him in his first seasons before he drifted off to sleep:

"**_Remember who you are,dear one_**

Remember who you are

Remember where you're comming from

May this lesson take you far

Cain, my little Killfang

Now your future dreams take wing

One day when you're big and strong

You shall be a king."


	3. It Was in the Bleak December

AN: Before we really begin, I'd like to add a minor note- I've only read about six or seven of the Redwall books, so don't yell at me if I miss an important detail or re-use a name or something. Also, please bear with me for the hare and mole dialects, I'm kinda bad at them. *ashamed* Other that, that's all. Enjoy chapter three. 

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"We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors."-Sun Tzu, the Art of War

The coyote was dreaming. A wide field of grass, brown with death stretched out before her bathed in the dim light of the setting sun stretched into the horizon for as far as the eye could see, and then some. In the middle of all this was an ivory monolith stretching high into the atmosphere, with countless forbidding jagged iron spikes jutting from it's sides, making it seem as if they threatened to rip the sky apart with their might. Woeful, screams and desperate voices of various birds and beasts lingered in midair, though not a creature was to be seen, as if phantasms lingering about. At that moment, as if from thin air, a vixen emerged on the awesome monolith, clouded in wispy gray fog and dust that swirled around her feet. She was the same dusty gray as the dust and fog that swirled around her figure, it was near impossible to tell where the fog began and the strange fox began. But her eyes- they glowed an odd shade of red and yellow, like fire shining in dazzling, impossible brilliance, like the beacon of a lighthouse, as if beckoning Quellara to come to her. She moved his head to stare at the night sky, which had suddenly replaced the sunset. In his paws, he held a sabre with a long shining crystalline blade, but unlike any other crystal, which one could easily see through, this was jet black, and allowed no light to come through it. The mysterious fox lifted the blade up to the night sky and the starlight bounced off it, like a frog into a pond, and reflected a long winding river of blue-black silk and silver, as if it were trapped in the blade. 

Time stood still as a grand majestic tapestry unfurled before the astonished Quellara. It was proudly adorned with beautiful foreign and mysterious materials of which the dreaming coyote had never set eyes upon painted the portraits of a grand army creatures, mostly consisting of various foxes, weasels, ferrets, stoats, rats, ravens, crows, magpies, one hawk, and a few snakes and lizards. In the center of all of this were the shining of five creature silhouetted in front of a full blood red moon : a stoat, a rabbit, a fat pine martin, a small raven, and what appeared to be some sort of wolf….or possibly a fox (it was difficult for the coyote to tell) standing atop a great boulder overlooking the battle below, their eyes shining confident hues of red, white, and gold. The entire thing was constructed of shining threads of black, gray, dark blue, and deep violet, and it was now apparent that the great tapestry was hanging on its own in the heavens. Never in her wildest fantasies had Quellara seen such a wondrous and thing. And yet….it seemed familiar, as if she'd always known it was there waiting for her. 

The fire eyed vixen suddenly tossed the crystalline sabre in the air and let it plunge to the dead grass. New voices could be heard in the air now, louder, closer. They were conversing about something- something of great importance, but the words were impossible to make out. The fox took no notice of this, holding out a gray paw, indicating Quellara join her atop the tall monolith. As she began to approach the structure, however, the scene began to break apart and slowly fade away back into the land of dreams…

The familiar sounds of hushed voices again drifted in the air, as they had in the dream whilst Quellara slowly drifted into consciousness. Eyes still closed with drowsy sleep, she was surprised to find herself lying in a strange bed under a pile of warm blankets. The two voices were coming from a far corner in the room, hushed in whispered in quiet conversation. The first was easily recognizable as the hare that let her in the great red building and got offended when called a rabbit. The other sounded female, and much older, speaking in gentler tones than her companion. Curious to see just where she was, golden eyes slowly began to open- only to be rewarded by blinding lights from above, forcing a small yelp of anguish to escape her throat and ducked her head under one of the blankets. She instantly regretted doing so as she heard the voices stop their conversation and footsteps begin to approach. Instinctively, Quellara's paw raced to grab one of her daggers- and was horrified to find them gone, along with her cloak and Oakwood staff. Panic was beginning to take hold. Lying ill in a strange bed in a strange place housed by who-knows-what and with no possible way to defend herself. '_Caught completely off guard, on my last legs. What kind of a Newstar _am_ I?!' _

She felt one of the two beasts standing beside the bed, and one began to pull away the blankets. It was time for a bluff. 

"Raaaah!! Stay away! I am the fearsome creature of the western Hotlands, I make beasts' boles melt and innards burst open, if they so dare mess with me! Leave now and the fearsome force of the west winds will spare your pitiful lives!!" The two were still there. "Leave…" she said again in a much smaller voice "….please?" The beasts stayed where they were. She poked the black tips of her ears from under the covers and snarled "Well it's become obvious they you've caught me, you may as well get on with it. Go on, you horrible thing from…..the place where horrible things come from! Slay me in bed and be done with it, fiends! Quellara Amberesia Newstar doesn't fear you, nor anyone!" Having that said, she braced herself for the end as the blanket was yanked off and the bright light flooded in. '_Killed in bed' _she bitterly thought '_What a **stupid **way to die'. _

But to her surprise, no cold blade or fearsome club came smashing down upon her head, but a light, gentle touch. "'Tis quite a fine speech, but I'm afraid you've wasted it on us. We don't plan t'cause you any harm." The hare's voice piped in "Unless ye try an' 'urt us first!" His voice was bathed in distrust for the canine. Quellara ignored the second comment "You're not gonna kill me? This isn't some kinda trick, is it?" The old one chuckled "Of course not." A single golden eye cracked open to peer at them as she began to cough. "Really?" She sighted the hare standing close by, staring suspiciously with rather dirty looks and a tall kind looking elderly squirrel kneeling over her. The squirrel smiled at her "Really" She pulled the blankets around her protectively as her eyelids began to grow heavy with weariness "Promise?" The old squirrel started to take her leave. "Promise" she replied.

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Cain's scarlet eyes shined with anticipation. A fat dove hopped sloppily in circles, calling out for it's lost flock (AN: Do doves even have flocks? O_o) that had somehow vanished without it's notice. The stoat began to salivate. Not only would this be an easy kill, it's be the best meal he'd have in seasons! A fanged smile appeared on his face, imagining the warm soft meat in his jaws. He swing his sling stone above his head and released it. The stone flew toward the oblivious bird with deadly accuracy. Not long after, a loud "THWACK!" followed by a the startled dove's death cry sounded in the satisfied stoat's ears. But as he approached the spot his stone struck, he was horrified to find the bird nowhere in sight: the sling stone embedded in a tree truck where his prize stood a moment before. Had he missed and hit the tree? If so, what made the bird sing out it's death song? Had me only grazed it? Mortally wounded it? Furious at his loss, he searched around to see where his game could have gone. He didn't search long. 

He soon spotted the dove a few feet away slain by the knife that now pinned it to a tree trunk. A hearty voice behind him laughed "Ach, dat's a fine kill dere, ain't it laddie? A finer kill in Mossflower t'was never made!" Cain turned to discover a short stout pine martin casually stride to retrieve the slain dove. The ex-prince glared at him. "Dat's **my **kill, voodvorm!" The pine martin took the insult in stride "Woodworm, eh? Well, seein' as 'ow 'twas _my _knives that did de slayin', I'd say 'tis my rightful prize. 'Tisn't any fault 'o mine your sling stones be too slow, laddie." Cain made a move to strike the martin, but stopped feeling a sharp pain in his right arm, down to his remaining paw. "I wouldn't be tryin' that again, stoat, lest ye want t'lose yer other paw. At Cain's displeasure, he laughed "Don' be sore, lad! Nary a beast alive that faced Majax the Assassin's Assassin!" 

A raspy croaking sounded from above and in what seemed like an instant a large glossy feathered raven stood proudly beside the pine martin, Majax. "Ach, sorry mate! Nary a beast alive that faced Shadewing the silent neither." 

Cain licked his lips hungrily, in spite of himself as he stared at Shadewing and Majax devour the dove carcass. "Yer welcome c'mon us lad, lest ye try an' strike me again." Shadewing didn't seem to agree with his friend's suggestion, but made no objections as Cain approached. "I ken catch my own supper. The assassin grinned at the stoat "Don' take charity, eh? Can' say I blame ye! Ye be lookin' like a proud vermin indeed, mate!" 

"So, the two of you are assassin?" "Aye. Assassins, thieves, mercenaries, it's all good fer us. But mainly assassins" Shadewing bobbed his head in agreement. "True dat, Shade. We'll do jus' about anything' for de right price. Or mebbie some vittles." The stoat lifted a brow "Dat so?" Majax looked at him expectedly "Aye…" "Vell den, I've got a job for the two of you." The assassins immediately ceased eating. They hadn't had a good job for a long while, and judging from the impressive silver ring on Cain's paw, the payoff would certainly be more than agreeable.

"We're listnin', stoat."

Cain edged closer, sinister grin running along his face.

"Good. Vat do ye know of a place called Redvall?"

~~~~~~~

The warm feeling of sunlight on her muzzle was what woke Quellara again. She yawned and stretched out in the luxurious bed, taking in the sun and the scent of flowers. The foreigner rose to gaze out the window to view half of the sun peaking over the horizon, then shivered as a gust of wind blew out a nearby candle. Thankfully, the hail and freezing rain was gone, only slick patches of ice remained. It was significantly warmer than when she'd first come, but still much too cold for her liking. Below three squirrel babes played near a frozen over pond, before a mousemaid urgently pulled them away from the thin ice. Quellara closed her eyes to let the sun soak into her, trying to ignore the chilly weather. "Even if it's exceedingly cold, it's nice to feel the dawn again."

"Well, yore right about one thing, tis rather chilly. But I'm afraid you've made a bit of a mistake marm, that's the sun setting, not rising." Turning, Quellara discovered a young white rabbit splattered with light gray spots that covered his long silky fur, only a few seasons younger than herself. "_Setting_? I've really been asleep all day?" The rabbit shook his silky head "Longer, in fact. You've slept for three days straight. Shortly after ye first set foot here, ye collapsed, nearly froze t'death. Abbess Fenna thought ye very ill, an' suggested ye be put in th' infirmary and kept warm. At least, that's how I heard it." "Ah. Makes sense, this weather is nothing like I'm used to.." The rabbit's ears stiffened with anxiety "Oh! I've went an' lost me manners! Let me introduce meself. Jaxin Nerworth Braebuck at yore service marm. My father, Hortwill was th' hare that let you in. And 'tis my duty t'welcome ye to Redwall Abbey!" Jaxin bowed slightly and held out his paw in greeting. Coyote paw politely shook rabbit's. "Good evening to you Jaxin. I am Quellara Amberesia Newstar of the far west Hotlands. You know, you don't look much like a hare.." "I look more like a rabbit? Makes sense, me mum was one." "It shows. Must have given you that nice spotted fur, eh?"

Jaxin waggled his ears nervously as Quellara worked on polishing her gold armlets and investigated the infirmary, noting everything there. "Err….Quellara?" "Yes?" "Err…umm…I..w-was wonderin'….we…Redwall, I mean's havin' a feast an'…well..this 'ere sickbay's always so gloomy..and the food's awful good..and there's always too much…an'…well-" The coyote turned to flash the rabbit a fanged smile and a laugh "Why, Mr. Braebuck, would you be inviting this 'lowly vermin' to your feast?" He nodded "I'd like it very much if ye came marm, Abbess Fenna would like it too, its be a chance for the other Redwallers tom see wot you're really like. T'show 'em that yore not at all like other vermin." Quellara blinked wondering if she'd just been complimented or insulted. "I'm not?" Jaxin smiled at her "Oh, no marm! Ye aren't cowardly, or tricky, or evil at all! I'm guessin' that everyone else here thinks yore like all the others, evil like our mum's always said. 'Ere's a chance to prove 'em wrong!" Quellara shook her head and sighed "Please, don't call me 'marm', I not that much older than you are." It was then Jaxin suddenly noticed she was standing right beside him. He hadn't even noticed her move from the far corner. "Furthermore" she added "I don't see the need to rove anything to these 'Redwallers'. I'm not trying to murder or rob any of you, I know that and so do you and shouldn't that be enough?" Noticing the crestfallen look in the spotted rabbit's brown eyes, she quickly said "I honestly couldn't care less what someone else thinks, that's their business. But an empty stomach and a huge feast, just waiting for it: now, that's MY business!" Jaxin's velvety none twitched in excitement "So ye'll come?!" Quellara smiled warmly at him "Indeed, I will." "Ha ha!! Jolly good marm!" "I _told _you not to call me 'marm'." Jaxin ignored the complaint, continuing his personal celebration. "A historic event this is! Wot a night! The first fox ever invited to feast at Redwall Abbey!"

Quellara blinked indignantly "Fox? My friend, I'm a lot of things, but absolutely not a fox." "Oh. Ye must a small wolf, then?" "I'm not small, nor am I a wolf." Jaxin scratched his long ears in confusion "Then….wot kind of beast are ye?" Quellara cast off the blanket, showing off her full black clothed figure. The fading sunlight reflected brightly off her golden earrings and armlets, making them shine against her silhouetted form. Taking a proud stance atop a random chair she announced proudly "I am…a _coyote_!" She spread out her arms and paws to emphasize her statement. One of Jaxin's flopped down over his face in bewilderment "A coy-_what_?!" Quellara's head drooped with a sigh. This was going nowhere. "It's…like a wolf…only smaller…and thinner…and sneakier. Sort of like a combination of a wolf and a fox. Only…..different. Understand?" Jaxin blinked his brown eyes at her smiling "Not really marm….but for th' moment, let's both preten' that I do." 


	4. They Gathered for the Feast

Key: speech: "blah"

thought: _'blah'_

Poems, songs, etc: **_blah_**

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~~~~~~~~~~- flashback/dream sequence

~~~~~~~~~~- time passes

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Hey there! If you're reading this it probably means you've already read the other chapters so far and you must like my story! Either that or you came here by mistake and were too lazy to leave. But either way, you're here now! ^_^ I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. And errr…. To whoever IS reading this…PLEASE review this fic! PWEEEESE? *sad puppy eyes* 

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"All animals are equal. But some_ animals are more equal than others"- Animal Farm_

"Alright Shade. This should be easy enough, twill be jut like all the other assignments, nothin' t'worry about." Majax's raven friend blinked his jet eyes at him curiously at him. "Don' go a-bein' nervous, matey. Jus' an' ol' Abbey, 'tis all. N-Nothin' t'be frightened of…" The martin's cheery encouragement was more designed for himself than his partner. As the pair of assassins stared up into the towering heights of sandstone bathed in red, Majax gulped nervously. Redwall seemed to loom over them in the moonlit night, glaring spitefully at the two vermin. All the tales he was told about this place suddenly sprung to mind. His parents, grandparents, the cook, the seer, and everyone else in the old horde would sit him, along with the other babes around them and speak of things…_hideous _things that happened to vermin there. So many vermin, and smart, sly and strong vermin at that, met their ends here. The names of them all raced through the depths of Majax's mind. Cluny the Scourge, General Ironbeak, the Marlfoxes, Slagar the Cruel, and so many others. Every one of them commanded enormous, powerful, armies with the most bloodthirsty serving under them, the very earth itself trembled in blind, screaming panic at the very utterance of their names. Yet, when they approached this great Abbey of red stone all their dreams of conquest and power vanished and transformed into nightmares of demise and defeat. There were also tales even more frightening of a great tapestry home to the spirit of a mighty terrible warrior that came in visions to the slayers of vermin to aid in Redwall's victory. Above this tapestry it was said a magic sword was hung. The same sword once held by that warrior spirit in life, the one that cut down countless armies and hordes. It held with in it sorcery and power mere mortal minds could not possibly fathom. The very blade…held by the beast he'd been assigned to kill. 

Shadewing poked his fellow assassin in his fat belly with a talon inquisitively. He'd never seen his partner in such a state before. "I'm…I'm not likin' th' feel o' dis place.." The bird unfurled his wings and clacked his beak in banter. Majax's face screwed up in insult as he caught on to the message. "I'm _not _bein' superstitious! I..canna jus' be burstin' in th' place. Tis a high guarded fortress, I'll be bettin'. T'isn't th' time t'be takin' action unwisely." the pine martin bore a sour face as the creaking rasping sound of Shade's silent laughter filled the air. He grabbed a stone and chucked it at the bird. Shade ignored it and continued on with his silent hysterics. Majax not "wanting to act unwisely"! There wasn't ever a time where he had EVER acted wisely!

"Ach, shut yer beak, ye blitherin' buzzard! Off wit ye! T'ain't nothin' th' matter wit bein cautious. Now, I 'ear dese Abbeybeasts are nothin' t'be laughin' at. A great power they 'ave." At the raven's befuddled look he continued "Aye, I've 'eard they be pushovers as well, but make no mistake, Shade me lad! Once dey been wronged, no mercy's shown upon ye! Don' be fooled. Remember Ironbeak, a raven like yerself once thought th' exact same way an' look wot 'appened t'him!" It seemed Shadewing couldn't argue with that, making clicking sounds at his fat friend. "Ahhhh, so now ye be interested, eh? Ha, canna say I blame ye." The assassins crouched as they conspired in the dark, Majax's voice lowered just below a whisper. "Now listen 'ere me quiet comrade. Yore goin' t'fly 'round th' Abbey an' find a hidin' place t'observe. Sounds like dere's some kinda party goin' on in dere. Be sure t' swipe wot vittles ye can fer me! I bet in dere dey be havin' candied chestnuts, baked pies, bread, October ale and strawberry cordial! Mmmmmmmmmm, remember th' time we swiped some offa dat travelin' 'edgepig? Twas a night t'remember!" His eyes glazed over dreamily as he thought of the banquet sure to be happening. A sharp croak snapped him back to attention. "Ach, no need t'be impatient lad! Now make sure no beast sees ye. When all clear an' dey're asleep in dere liddle beds ye come an' fly me over yon wall. Then we begin our task. Oh, a fine payoff dis one'll be!" Shadewing beat his ebony wings in excitement. Finally, his partner spoke his language! Silently, the bird lifted off into the sky, a blot of ink in the night sky.

Jaxin Nerworth Braebuck's velvety nose was quivering in anticipation. All around him was so many kinds of food and drink in so many numbers all just waiting to be eating! He inwardly tortured himself with the decision of what to sample next. Finally, after much deliberation me began to gorge himself on candied chestnuts and bread as he turned to look at Quellara. She sat quietly beside him dressed in a long silk black robe that trailed over her footpaws and onto the floor, so only the black tip of her tail was exposed. A silvery material portrayed an elegant winding design around the collar and hem. Her gold armlets were polished to perfection, catching the light so they shined, as did two golden hoop earrings with a little symbol hanging from them and jingly silver bracelets that jingled merrily when ever she made the slightest move. Around her neck hanging on a simple nearly invisible thread hung a small amulet of shiny silvery black metal that shimmered fluorescent shades of cobalt and emerald. The little orb held Jaxin's reflection as he stared at it, a shining gem of ebony against the coyote's bronze and light dun fur. Nevertheless, despite her fancy attire, Quellara didn't look at all very festive. She was staring into her goblet of strawberry cordial unhappily, paws resting in her lap. Unlike her new friend who'd begun to stuff his face as soon as he sat down, she hadn't eaten a bite. She'd taken a small sip of her cordial, screwed up her nose and hadn't touched a drop since. Jaxin waggled his long ears in bafflement. He couldn't see any reason why Quellara didn't eat. She certainly looked hungry,. Perhaps she was nervous, or still wasn't feeling well from earlier. He tapped her footpaw with his. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "What is it?" "How come ye haven' eaten anythin'? Ye not feelin' well?" She gave a small smile "Better than before, thanks. I'm…just a bit nervous I suppose." The rabbit shrugged "Ye shouldn't be. These are good beasts" he turned his attention to a new bowl of chestnuts. 

Quellara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Why, by the fang had she agreed to this? She looked around. Many of the seats near here were left empty, save for Jaxin, who'd been the only beast to bother talking to her since she'd awakened. His father, the hare that had let her in sat protectively at his son's side, eyeing her cautiously. At the hare's side was a rabbit she guessed was Jaxin's mother, handling a handkerchief nervously, as if she feared for her son's safety… Sitting next to the coyote's other side, a great badger chewed unceremoniously on a cake. The fur on her nape rose nervously. He was the biggest badger she'd ever set eyes upon! He was immense and hulking, powerful muscles now at rest as monstrous jaws tore into the cake. A long shining scar ran over his right eye. A huge battle ax rested at his feet light glinting across it's deadly steal rested at his feet next to an unusually long white tail tipped with gold. Sharp fearsome eyes were locked onto her silent figure, as if waiting for her to commit some kind of act, though she couldn't possibly figure out what that could be. The badger had been staring at her all night. Jaxin's question popped into her head. Who on earth could possibly eat with death of two burly legs kept staring into you? 

A single amber-gold eye sought out the other Redwallers sitting well away from her at the far side of the lengthy oaken table. A small assortment of beasts was what caught the coyote's attention specifically, all crowded together, as if in conspiracy. The shadows of suspicion and fear swirled all around them as they whispered to each other in low tones assured there was no way they could be over heard. But they hadn't counted on the fact that this newcomer had the ears of a warrior. She heard every word that passed their lips.

"Who is _that_?"

"Is it a fox?"

"Can't be, foxes don' look that tall"

"Maybe a wolf, then?"

"Nah, too small"

"An' lookit there, at that strange goldish fur!"

"_Has_ to be a fox. Other foxes 'ave 'ad golden fur before"

"Humph! Evil, good fer nothing' vermin!"

"Nothin' good ever came from 'em"

"Wot's she doin' here any 'ow?"

"'Eard th vermin came knockin' at the gate gatekeeper Garrin 'ad turned in, so Hortwill-"

"Hortwill?"

"The hare. Hortwill Braebuck II. The nephew of Martha, remember? Jaxin's father. Ye know 'im"

"Ah, yes!"

"He let 'er in"

"But…_why_?!"

"Twas stormin' at th' time. Besides, all creatures not imposing' a threat t' Redwall are welcome here, you know that"

"Well, **I** heard th' Abbess made him take 'er in outta pity."

A hedgehog made sour face "Pity? HA! Vermin deserve no pity, they give none t'us! Let the lot take their own medicine." 

"Aye!"

"Yore absolutely right, mate!"

"Ye said it, Gurnwil!"

The hog, spurred by his colleague's compliments, he continued "I don' care wot Abbess Fenna says, we may take in creatures in need of aid, we shouldn't give none to any wicked, scheming'. murderin', thievin' vermin!"

"'Specilly a fox!"

A squirrelmaid spoke up "Surely they can't be all bad…some vermin must be good. She looks like she's not from around here. Wot if she's just a stranger 'ere? Doesn't she deserve at least a chance?"

Her husband placed a paw on her shoulder kindly "A nice sentiment love, but believe me, this vermin brings trouble!" 

"Aye! We showed kindness t'vermin afore, an' go good's ever come out o' it! Remember th' last time a fox entered Redwall?"

"Learned it in Abbey School, a nasty chap by the name of..errr….wot's 'is name…"

"Slagar?"

"That's it! Rotten scoundrel!"

The hog shook a fistful of nuts in the air dramatically "I tell ye friends, no good'll come of this!" 

A mouse leaned over to his friend "Say, Pentalor, ye noticed th' fox hasn't touched any of th' food?" 

The hare called Pentalor gasped "Yore right! Hasn't touched a blinkin' bite!"

Immediately the table was alive with theories of what this must surely mean. Many plates of vittles were immediately shoved away

"Bet ye th' schemin' thing did something' to the food!"

"Poisoned!"

"Potions!"

"Bad magic!"

A mousemaid shrieked and nearly burst into tears "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! My pore liddle ones!"

Her husband desperately tried to comfort her "Now don' ye fret love! Look dere, Berrin an' Hortwill are guardin' 'er."

The hedgehog Gurnwil nodded proudly "Won't get far wit him around"

"Yore evil scheme's foiled NOW, ain't it foxey?!" 

Some beast clasped a paw over his mouth "Shush now, mate! Want 'er t'hear ye?!"

A dibbun tugged his mum's shoulder "She doesn't look so bad t'me mummy… I think she looks sad.."

"That's only cunning lad, only cunning."

"By the fur! Look, Jaxin's sittin' right next t'the fox! An' smilin' at 'er!"

Gurnwil shook his head sadly "Such a good lad. Will trust any beast that flashes a smile."

"Only _that _smile's made o' fangs!"

"Right you are, mate. Schemin' fox. Best we keep an eye on that 'un"

Quellara's fangs clenched in outrage and frustration. A place of peace and friendship, fah! To their own kind perhaps, but not to her. Not to "vermin". She crossed her arms and growled to herself. The badger had now turned his head to glare at her with both eyes. The irate coyote decided to not take this indignity and longer and returned his glare with full force, amber-gold eyes blazing with insult. Most of the Redwallers had ceased their whispering. All eyes were fixed the two figures, a large mass of muscle and fur and a tall slim black clad one stared at each other for a long time, neither one wavering even slightly, refusing to show any sign of weakness. 

Finally, Quellara put her paws on her hips and declared rather loudly "_Well_?! Is there something you Redwallers would like to say to me?!" None spoke, so she continued "There must me! You've all been whispering and staring all night about me. Don't you dare think for a second, I haven't heard you! I'm been quiet, not dense! If you've something' to say to me, at least have the courage to say it to my face instead of whispering behind my back like a buncha twitterin' songbirds. You all act as if I've murdered all your families and burned your houses tonight. Well, I haven't. Not that I could anyway, seeing as how my weapons, my rightful property was TAKEN from me! You may all hate what I am, that's just fine, but that gives you no right to be ill-mannered. If you've got something to say, say it!"

Jaxin's scratched his ears in confusion. They'd been staring and being rude to his friend? He hadn't even noticed. He suddenly wished he had… This explained why she hadn't eaten anything, his friend must have been feeling terrible. His long ears drooped low in regret, feeling he'd failed his new comrade. 

Quellara tapped a paw on the table impatiently. "Well? Have you all lost your voices? They seemed just fine a moment before. Have you nothing else to say to me? I want to know why you're all whispering behind my back. I've a right to know, don't I?" Her expression turned bitter, her voice dripping in oily sarcasm "Or do '_vermin_' as you so **_affectionately_** call me, have no rights?!" She directed her stare to the hedgehog Gurnwil "Just as we 'deserve no pity'? Not that it matters what a VERMIN thinks, but I would really like to know why!" 

"As would I" added in another voice. All eyes were on Abbess Fenna as she slowly stood from her seat at the front of the table to address Great Hall. "My dear friends, this abbey is a place of friendship and peace to all creatures, regardless of what they are." A young mousemaid by the name of Kallia spoke up "That's right! We offer shelter to everyone. We're all peaceful creatures here, we can surely work all of this out." Gurnwil crossed his arms with a sour air of uncertainty as the Abbess continued. "Because vermin have deceived and betrayed us in the past, does not mean our visitor will do the same. Now, this fox-" At this point Quellara growled under her breath. Why did EVERYONE insist on calling her a fox? "This fox is our privileged guest here at Redwall. She came seeking only warmth and shelter, as many of you have. She's as much right to be at our feast as any of us."

Quellara struggled to keep a scowl from crossing her face as she directed her glare at the group whispering moments before "With all due respect Abbess, I believe some others in this room believe otherwise. Mother Abbes smiled apologetically "Please, you must forgive our apprehension. Our previous encounters with ones like yourself have not ended well. Kindly forgive Redwall suspicion." Quellara nodded with a sigh "I understand. I suppose. Now that that's done with, may I have my weapons and staff back now?" Sharp ear picked up a familiar hedgehog's muttering of "Right. So ye can murder us in our sleep?" Amber eyes glared in his direction, then made the transformation to eerily calm. She smiled cunningly at him, twirling a knife in her paw "Sir Gurnwil, if my intention was to kill, you can trust I'd have done so and taken leave long before now. I do not need weapons to do so, trust me." She turned to Berrin "Don't give me those glares badger, I only speak the truth! Now. I've had my rightful property taken from me and I'd very much like 'em back. Above all, my staff." For a split second her voice softened "Someone…very dear to me carved it for me. It's all I've left of him. I want that returned." There was a brief silence before she quickly added "Please." Fenna nodded "You will have your weapons returned when you leave. Understand no weaponry is to be used here." "Right, and the staff?" "will be returned after the feast" finished the Abbess.

This seemed to give the visitor great relief as she leaned back in her seat with closed eyes and a relieved sigh. Jaxin swallowed a mouthful of flan so he could speak "If ye all got t'know Quellara when she firs' came, we wouldn't 'ave this problem. If ye'd jus asked, then ye wouldn't be so suspicious." Kallia nodded kindly and smiled at the visitor "Why don't you tell us about yourself? Let us get to know you better." As Great Hall turned their full attention on her Quellara's ears began to blush scarlet with embarrassment. _'Perfect. Now everyone's _really_ staring at me. What do they expect me to say, anyway? I'm starting to think liked the whispers better… If I say the wrong thing everything will only start all over again. Then again, I could not say anything at all, but that'd give Gurnwil and all his little suspicious buddies would be proven right. I'm not about to give 'em that satisfaction . So I just hope I say the right things, and the most I can hope for is to be left alone. And that suits me just fine. I should've just kept my trap shut. By the sands, how I detest being in the spotlight.' _As Quellara inwardly went over her options Jaxin noticed her discomfort, for she was fiddling with her amulet nervously. He smiled encouragingly at her. "Don' be nervous, friend. Everyone's really warm an' kind. Just a rocky start is all. We're really all good beasts here." The coyote gulped '_That's what I'm afraid of'_

With a sigh and a quick prayer she began to speak. "Errr..Greatings, Redwall Abbey. I'm..not so good at making speaches..so I'll keep this short. I am Quellara Ambrosianna Newstar, daughter of Tekiitm and Citalina Newstar. I descend from the Hotlands, a land far, far south from here across the sea in the west. The weather here…it's..so different from what I'm used to. I greatly appreciate your letting me stay in your abbey. I shudder to think what my fate would be if I'd been turned away, and I thank those who have shown me hospitality. I shan't bring any harm to those who dwell here….unless I am harmed first, that is. I am still a warrior after all." Berrin scoffed indignantly at the very aspect of a vermin giving themselves the honor of title "warrior". He didn't like the gleam arousing Quellara's eyes, no matter how much she claimed to not cause any harm. The coyote caught the sound and couldn't resist giving the badger a taunting wink as she continued "I'm peaceful at times, I still adore a good fight." Her amber eyes glistened with what was either joyous anticipation at the thought of a brawl, or wild bloodlust, it was hard to tell the difference. If there was difference at all. "Anybeast willing to take me on?" Berrin had apparently had enough of this. "I will" he growled. A black tipped tail wagged in excitement, all previous apprehension had fallen to her enthusiasm, apparently blind to the badger's unsaid threat "_Shé-tâl_! Excellent! Shall we spar tomorrow? No weapons either, seeing as how you've that big hulkin' axe and I've nothing. Isn't very honorable to attack an unarmed lady, after all!" "I always fight honorably. Not that any vermin knows anything of honor" Quellara flashed the badger a fanged secretive smile "and whom exactly do I have the honor of battling?" A paw flew to her mouth in mock alarm "Oh, dear! I've forgotten. I don't have the honor at all, do I? No vermin could EVER have honor, the very thought of it!" Berrin pulled himself to full height glaring down at the coyote, who smirked coolly at him. She was enjoying this. "I am Berrin Suntail and you, little fox shall regret your challenge". For first time since setting foot in the country Mossflower Quellara Newstar laughed, showing a mouthful of pearl fangs as she did so. "We shall see Sir Suntail, we shall see. And if you please, not a fox. I am a coyote, and with all due respect it will be you, by burly friend who will admits defeat, not I." 

High, high above the Redwall feast another pair of eyes of jet black eyes glittered in the lamplight of the feast. Shadewing's stomach gurgled at the smells of all those vittles going to waste. He eyed the table up and down with expertise until he spotted his target. The badger was much bigger than the stoat described, and the sword his partner nearly wet himself over was not there, but the axe certainly was and the telltale gold tip of the tail was poking out from behind it. Surely this was the target! Bringing him down would certainly be a challenge. The raven flexed his cramped wings and flexed his talons in anticipation of the kill. But it would not be impossible. Not for Shadewing the Silent and Majax: The assassin's assassin. It truly was a shame the sword was not there, he'd been curious to see this so called magic blade so many had apparently fallen to. What nonsense, a magic sword. Still, there was the fact that none who held it had ever been defeated. But there was still the battle axe. He sighed in disappointment. It was a great loss, the weapon was of such a massive size, for such a pretty, shiny blade and for it to simply go to waste seemed like a terrible crime. No matter, it couldn't be of any use to them. The raven rasped in silent laughter as he imagined Majax trying to lift the great axe. He'd be overpowered by the weight and fall smack on his fat face! What an amusing thought. Finally the martin would have a weapon actually heaver that he was! Hidden by the shadows of Redwall the raven laughed himself sick. 


End file.
